What do all those numbers mean?

Have you ever picked up a can of soup, a box of macaroni & cheese, or a bag of chips and wondered what all those numbers on the back are?  Stuff like serving size, amount of servings, and percentages. These numbers are commonly referred to as the "nutritional label". These labels are required on all food packages by The Federal & Drug Administration. These numbers are based on nutritional and daily values included in the product that the government has established as a dietary guideline. This labeling can be a very useful tool for those of us trying to "watch" our weight, or who are just trying to lead a healthier life style by making informed choices.

Let's have a look at a label on a large can of soup. All nutritional values are based on a recommended 2,000 calorie diet. 

The first thing you will see is the serving size. Most folks who read package labels generally look for the amount of calories, fat, and sodium (salt). That's good, however the key to this is the amount of servings per container. Many of us assume those values are for the whole package, and in this case a can of soup it is not true!  As you can see, the can of soup has a serving size of 1 cup with 2 servings per can. How many of us just eat half a can of soup? So, if you eat the whole can you must double all the daily values.

250 calories per serving become 500 calories with 220 calories from fat. Almost half of the calories coming from fat. Total fat goes from 12 grams to 24 grams. Recommend daily value is 65 grams total fat.

That's 36% of your total daily recommend fat consumption.

Saturated fat (bad fat) becomes 6 grams. Recommended daily saturated fat intake per day is 20 grams.

Cholesterol (bad stuff for your heart) goes from 30 mg (milligrams) to 60 mg. Recommended daily value is 300 grams.

Sodium (salt). Associated with high blood pressure and heart disease. 470 mg to 940 mg. Recommended daily intake is 2400 mg = 1 teaspoon a day.

Total sugar goes from 5 grams to 10 grams. Recommended daily intake is 40 grams.

One good thing for your health is dietary fiber which you should try to get about 25 grams a day. The can of soup has no dietary fiber at all.  

So, next time you are shopping check out the label, the serving size, and number of servings in a package. It might surprise you!

One last thought. A bag of potato chips has 10 servings.  1 ounce - 15 chips is considered 1 serving. A serving contains 150 calories, 180 grams of sodium, and 10 grams of fat.

Bet you can't eat just one.

How to ensure you get your renewal back in time?

Start Early!  The Coast Guard allows mariners to submit a renewal application up to one year from the expiration date.  At this time the Coast Guard has released a bulletin stating that they are experiencing increased volume and mariners are to expect increased processing times.  It is recommended that you start at least 8-10 months early.  If you request "delayed issuance" the Coast Guard will not print your license until about 30 days prior to expiration.  The application will be processed and approved but you will not lose any time on the license.

Be Prepared.  With the increased medical requirements you may need to provide additional information concerning any medical condition you have.  Discuss this with your doctor when you are close to renewing.  Your doctor will need to write a letter explaining your condition.  This will include medications you are on, tests results, hospitalizations, etc.  They are wanting to make sure that your medical condition is controlled and will not affect your performance.

Use Resources Provided.  Mrs. Patti Guthrie in our Covington office has been assisting mariners for several years.  She is well versed in the requirements and their terminology.  During the process it is very important that you keep communications open with her so that she may better assist you.

A 10,000-pound crusted Dahlgren cannon and other artifacts from a Staten Island Ferry used as a gunboat during the Civil War have been salvaged from the bottom of a Texas shipping channel and are being preserved.  In early 2014, artifacts from the U.S.S. WESTFIELD  will be on display at the Texas City Museum.

A 150-year-old Civil War ship and its contents are on its way to Texas City after being excavated from the bottom of the Houston Ship Channel and restored in a five-year project.  Restoration is taking place at Texas A&M's, Conservation Research Laboratory in Bryan TX.

Prior to the Civil War, the Westfield was a Staten Island, side-wheel steam ferryboat belonging to Cornelius Vanderbilt. At 822 tons, the Westfield had a length of 215 feet, a beam of 35 feet and a draft of depth 13½ feet. 

She was taken out of passenger service and sold to the U.S. Navy in 1861.  Commissioned as the U.S.S. WESTFIELD in early 1862, the vessel was sent to the Gulf of Mexico where it engaged in a campaign to capture New Orleans.

The U.S.S. WESTFIELD was the flagship for a Union squadron of eight ships led by Cmdr. William B. Renshaw on Jan. 1, 1863, as a Confederate land force attacked Union troops in Galveston. Two Confederate gunboats with cotton bales piled on their decks, giving them the name "cotton clads," attacked the union fleet.

The Westfield ran aground during the battle, and Renshaw ordered charges set so it wouldn't fall into Confederate hands. The charge ignited just as Renshaw and a launch crewed by 14 sailors returned to check the fuse, killing them all.

The wreck of the U.S.S. WESTFIELD was found in 2009 during a survey of the Texas City Ship Channel near the intersection with the Houston Ship Channel, northeast of Pelican Island, just off of the ICWW.

In the next few weeks, the salvaged cannon will be sitting on a re-created carriage at the Texas City Museum.  Later in the year a massive reconstruction of the boiler will be displayed.

© 2013 HIGMAN MARINE SERVICES, Inc.